Rockpool Foundation and Neil Perry have furthered their commitment in the fight against food waste by donating a brand new refrigerated van and driver to OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, helping reduce the amount of good food going to landfill.

The generous donation will allow OzHarvest to rescue an additional 500 kilos of surplus food every day, which equates to around 400,000 meals a year to help feed people in need.

The OzHarvest and Rockpool Foundation van will include a daily run to the airport to collect surplus food from domestic flights at the Qantas Catering Centre, which will then be delivered directly to charity agencies in the local area.

OzHarvest CEO and Founder, Ronni Kahn said every kilogram of food that can be rescued saves perfectly edible food from ending up in landfill, which not only protects the environment but helps make a positive difference to the lives of those less fortunate.

“When I called Neil Perry twelve years ago to ask him to donate food to my start up charity, he immediately said yes. I’ve called him many times since then, and he has always risen to the challenge.”

“OzHarvest is totally philanthropically funded and relies on the support of organisations like Rockpool Foundation to keep the wheels turning, in this case literally. We love that Neil and his Foundation are industry leaders in giving back so significantly to the community.”

Neil Perry is a passionate champion of the cause and Rockpool Foundation is dedicated to supporting community based charities helping to change people’s lives for the better.

“Ronni and her OzHarvest team do an outstanding job and have such a positive impact on so many peoples’ lives, and we are proud that via Rockpool Foundation, we are able to give them greater resources to deliver more food to more people in need,” said Neil.

The Rockpool Foundation vehicle joins the fleet of 37 OzHarvest vans collecting over 87 tonnes of rescued food each week from more than 2,000 businesses including supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, hotels, retailers, airports and food outlets. The quality surplus food is then delivered to more than 900 charities helping to make a positive difference to the lives of men, women and children across Australia.